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Multiple-Meaning Words

A multiple-meaning word is spelled and said the same way but means different things: a bat flies at night, and you hit a ball with a bat. Context is the only clue, which is why these words are such good reading practice.

Here are 120 multiple-meaning words from past ClueBy puzzles, each with a real example sentence for every meaning. Use them as a reference, or make a printable worksheet below.

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Students read each sentence and write the missing word. Every word appears in several sentences, each time with a different meaning.

Words on the sheet
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Word bank
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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word from the word bank in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

Word bank: wake · mouse · rule · key · wave · lean · mate · squash

  1. Have you found your soul ________________?
  2. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  3. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  4. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  5. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  6. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  7. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  8. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  9. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  10. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  11. This piece is in a major ________________.
  12. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  13. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  14. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  15. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  16. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  17. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  18. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  19. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  20. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  21. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  22. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  23. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  24. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com

Answer key

  1. mate — a partner
  2. squash — the vegetable
  3. rule — a law
  4. mouse — the animal
  5. rule — to rule out
  6. mate — a friend
  7. wake — to stop sleeping
  8. wake — before a funeral
  9. wave — with your hand
  10. key — the most important part
  11. key — in music
  12. rule — government
  13. lean — to rest against
  14. lean — to bend
  15. lean — thin
  16. squash — the sport
  17. mate — to breed
  18. mouse — the animal
  19. wave — of the sea
  20. mouse — for a computer
  21. squash — to crush
  22. wake — a trail
  23. key — for a lock
  24. wave — a sudden rise

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

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Frequently asked questions

What are multiple-meaning words?

Words with the same spelling and pronunciation but more than one meaning, like bark (of a dog or of a tree) or bank (for money or of a river). You can only tell which meaning is meant from the rest of the sentence.

Are multiple-meaning words the same as homonyms?

Mostly, yes. Teachers often use "multiple-meaning words" and "homonyms" for the same idea. Homophones are different: they sound alike but are spelled differently, like flour and flower.

Are the worksheets free?

Yes. Make and print as many as you like for home or classroom use. Each sheet has its own link, so you can print the same one again.

Where do the words come from?

From past ClueBy puzzles, a daily game where you sort twelve sentences by their missing word. A new puzzle every day adds four more words to this list.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com